Page 22 of The Attercop

Mrs B nodded. “Sensible. I’ll be back shortly.”

“Maybe we should head into Declan’s office and begin,” Charlie said, taking control of the situation.

“Before we start, is there a washroom I could use?” Jules asked.

“Sure,” Charlie replied. “Right through that door.”

Jules disappeared and while she was out of the room, Declan turned to Charlie and said, “So am I taking the lead on this, or are you?”

“Well, she said that her father wanted you to take the case, so I guess it should be you.”

A moment later Jules emerged from the washroom and they settled into Declan’s office. Declan sat behind his desk, and Charlie and Jules took a seat in the two facing chairs. Mrs B returned with cups of coffee, a bag filled with pastries and the dog, which trotted behind her. She set the pastries out on a plate and handed coffees all around.

Charlie said, “Why is he still here?”

“I tried, Charlie, but my hands were full, and this one has a knack for slipping through doors.”

The dog snuck two of Gwen’s egg and cheese croissants off the plate and settled in under Charlie’s chair. Mrs B shrugged and left, closing the door behind her.

Charlie gave up. “Should we get this interview started?”

Jules took a sip of her coffee, turned to Declan and asked, “What do you want to know?”

“So, I understand that you’re heading into your first year at university,” Declan started. “A business program, is it?”

“Yes.”

“And your father has asked for someone to protect you. Can you tell us why he is so concerned about your safety?”

She leaned back in her chair and stretched out her long legs.

“Well, up until a few months ago it might have been about my psycho ex-boyfriend, but he’s been out of the picture since he discovered he likes guys better. Daddy’s concerned because my mother isn’t very stable and he’s not around to protect me from her.”

“Where’s your father?” Declan asked.

“He had to leave for a business trip to China this morning.”

“And what do you mean when you say your mother’s not too stable?” Charlie asked.

“Well, she started to develop mental health issues a long time ago, and my father thinks she’s a threat.”

Charlie took notes, recording everything she said.

“Has she tried to do something to you in the past?” Declan asked.

“When I was a little girl, Gloria—that’s what she called one of her personalities—Gloria tried to drown me.”

The dog let out a small growl. Without thinking, Charlie reached down and stroked the dog’s head, which seemed to calm it.

“So, she has multiple personalities?” Charlie asked.

“Well, the doctors said she did. There’s Sandra, who is kind and loving—that’s who gave birth to me. Then there’s Gloria, who is convinced that I need to be killed because of some horrible thing I’m going to unleash on the world. There were others, too. I can’t remember them all, but they were very different from one another. They locked her away for a long time after she tried to drown me. My father would never let me see her. He did tell me that he set her up in a nice place far from here where she wouldn’t be able to hurt me.”

“So why is he concerned about her if she’s locked away?” Declan asked.

“Apparently, the last time he called the institution, wherever it is, he found out that she’s managed to slip away and nobody knows where she is.”

Declan asked, “Has your mother, in any of her guises, been in contact with you?”